Varanasi: Panic gripped Panchvati Ramlila ground in the Ramnagar area on Sunday after an elephant brought from Azamgarh for the locality’s famed Ramlila turned violent and attacked its mahout.ACP (Kotwali) Vijay Pratap Singh said the elephant could not be caught by the handlers and has been isolated in a forest area of Ramnagar. The forest department’s team was called to control it, he said, adding that traffic on the road leading to the forest area was diverted.The injured mahout was first rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Ramnagar, where, after initial treatment, doctors referred him to the BHU Trauma Centre. His condition remains serious, said officials.The incident occurred during preparations linked to the world-renowned Ramnagar Ramlila. The elephant had been specially brought to take part in the traditional procession in which the son of the head of Kashi’s erstwhile royal family, Anant Narayan Singh, rides to witness the Ramlila rituals as per the tradition of the family.Locals informed police that the elephant abruptly became uncontrollable and lifted its mahout with its trunk before slamming him to the ground several times. The sudden attack triggered chaos at the venue, with people running for safety.Police teams reached Panchvati Maidan soon after receiving information about the incident. As a precaution, security personnel barricaded the ground and restricted movement within nearly a 2-km radius. Authorities also halted public access to nearby routes to prevent further danger and manage the crowd. No official statement was issued on what caused the animal’s aggression.On Sept 29, another elephant, Dhanraj, brought for the world-famous Ramnagar Ramlila spent several hours in a pond, upset over a delay in being fed.Dhanraj and three other elephants are brought every year from Jiyanpur in Azamgarh to assist in the Ramnagar Ramlila. They are kept close to Pampasar pond near Panchvati ground. After several hours of effort, Dhanraj, who plays an important role in the event, carrying Anant Narayan Singh, could be brought out of the pond.BOXRescue team from Gorakhpur zoo to tame jumboGorakhpur: A four-member team of experts from Gorakhpur Zoo left for Varanasi on Sunday to help capture the elephant that went on the rampage at Ramnagar. The team departed around 1 pm, carrying essential medicines, rescue equipment and a tranquilliser gun to safely bring the animal under control.The team was dispatched under the supervision of Gorakhpur Zoo chief medical officer Yogesh Pratap Singh, who said the experts were in constant contact with him. He expressed hope that the rescue operation would be completed soon after the team reached the spot.
